Australia has stunning beaches, some of the best natural landscapes, fascinating wildlife, beautiful people and now the world’s greenest convention center – how is any other country supposed to compete with that? Well, it’s going to be tough because the newly designed Melbourne Convention Centerhas set a new standard for green design. Officially opened in June of this year, the center has received the highest rating to ever be bestowed upon a convention center, a 6 Star Green Star certification!

Having a building on you project list dubbed as “one of the greenest large buildings in the world” can’t be such a bad thing for NH Architecture and Woods Bagot, the architects behind the design of the Melbourne Convention Center. Their design of the center has developed and implemented a number of new and innovative green solutions ranging from chilled floor slabs and displacement ventilation to reduce the need for air-conditioning; to the installation of a black-water treatment plant that will recycle waste water for use in toilets, cooling towers and landscape irrigation; to solar thermal panels that deliver hot water for all public amenities; to the use of sustainably-harvested timber veneer throughout the center.

Even with the intense focus that went into the application of these sustainable features, the duo didn’t skimp on aesthetics either. The exterior and interior leave a definitive impression on its visitors with a lustrous façade, dynamic angles, sharp colors and array of textures. But if that’s not enough to convince you of its awesomeness, on top of all of this, this new convention center provides even more benefits for the community. Once in full swing it will have generated another 2,500 jobs for Australian residents, in additon to the 1,000 that were already employed during construction. Great news in today’s depressed economic climate!